Intro

A consultancy of academics and professionals offering the best mix of sound theory and real-world experience.

I learned from the real world managing my tourism company and I learned sound theory researching and writing my thesis on political crises and tourism. I learned how much the tourism business needs the right mix of academic knowledge and business experience to endure and flourish through the crises of global tourism today.... read my Welcome post ...

24 February 2014

In the span of a mere generation,
tourism has become a significant industry for many areas that were
previously the destination of choice for only adventure tourists or
backpackers. Local and international entrepreneurs and organizations
have since seized upon the changing tourist landscape to build
infrastructure that includes hotel and restaurant chains,
transportation services, amenities and attractions. Directly
employing hundreds if not thousands locally, many more are employed
in the far-extending supply chain. Simultaneously, tourism
investments have grown in the generating markets to match these
opportunities whether through airliner purchases or extensive
marketing.

In the span of this same generation,
the world has witnessed traditional media and telecommunications
evolve into a global medium where people feed, relay and consume news
nearly instantaneously. Whereas traditional media reported,
summarized and editorialized to an unknowing audience, the “news”
element is already in the public knowledge thanks to social media and
instant telecommunications today. Details and in-depth reporting is
often too late to influence the already formed opinions drawn from
140 character tweets and smartphone pictures posted on Instagram
during the course of a crisis.

The greatest damage to a destination
occurs immediately… as the worldwide audience is watching it
unfold live. While the effects may be felt days or weeks later, the
damage has already been done. Crisis management serves as a crucial
emergency centre during these times, but a plan must be in place
first in order to be effective when and if needed. In this way,
crisis management acts similar to an insurance policy for events that
hopefully will never take place. Large companies including most
airlines have dedicated crisis management teams; however, it is
neither practical nor cost-effective for smaller organisations to
maintain staff specifically for the task.

Fortunately, the most important
element of any crisis management strategy is… communication,
which a stakeholder of any size can leverage. While instant
communications like tweets and Instagram pictures so quickly shape
public opinion as crises develop, the same avenues of communication
are also the most effective means for tourism stakeholders to enter
the conversation and manage the effects as soon as possible.

In practical terms… all
stakeholders must have the following: a detailed crisis contingency
plan, a resource guide for employees, and the ability to delegate
decision-making and communications to those best suited to respond
during a crisis event.

Odds are slim that the person leading a
crisis management effort will be easily accessible at the most
critical of times, therefore the chosen resource guide book for
employees should be both effective and adaptive in ensuring that best
practices prevail. The guide should offer concise and adaptable
instructions so that no employee is caught desperately searching a
lengthy index to find a simple answer. As American English is the
most widely understood language by the global audience, consider
using it as the language of choice.

The next step is to select, build and
train a crisis team. Keep in mind that most experienced and senior
staff may not be on site, or they may remain unreachable far into an
unfolding crisis. Therefore, the best candidates for a local team
should be those already adept at utilizing social media. Regardless
of their work experience or placement, they should be motivated team
players who can be trusted with important responsibilities. Of
course, they should be able to communicate in basic English;
additional they will require some training in crisis management to
ensure that order, not mayhem, prevails.

Instead of an arduously written,
lengthy, post-event press release… that is often viewed
skeptically, build a crisis response plan which serves as a
foundation to mitigate negative effects and build credibility in this
age of powerful and immediately information. Digestible and accurate
communications from coordinated sources distributed throughout the
course of a crisis are the key to successfully mitigating their
consequences.

Vorawan &
Associates is a consultancy particularly well learned on the subject
of political crisis management for the tourism industry. Do not
hesitate to contact us with your questions or inquiries.

06 February 2014

After four gruelling years of researching and writing my doctoral dissertation, I did it! The proof lay before me as I glance at the nicely bound green book with gold lettering that reads, Development of a Framework of Political Crisis Responses for the Tourism Industry. While it’s an attractive keepsake to be sure, the best reward of this intensive process still awaits. It is my intent that this new blog bridges the gap between the academic theory of travel and tourism and my real-world experiences in the field.

Who we are – Vorawan & Associates Ltd. was founded by me in the aftermath of my doctoral degree. It seemed only natural to create a consultancy which, like my own background, draws upon the unique knowledge and resources of both the academic and business worlds to better serve clients. V&A Ltd. is based in London and offers tourism crisis management consulting services to a range of private organizations, NGOs and government agencies. Additionally, we participate in conferences and publish industry papers and books on the subject.

While I leverage my knowledge of the effects of political crises on tourism, it is the “associates” element of this consultancy that is crucial to developing a unique, valued and credible reputation by serving clients who face increasingly complex issues. These associates will continuously evolve to include academics and industry executives alike who possess broad knowledge and experience that can be applied to tourism, politics and crisis management.

What to expect - Expect to find V&A Ltd.’s published papers, conference schedules and associates’ biographies on our new website, Vorawan.com. This blog will offer a mix of trim academically-oriented short papers and current event analysis alongside trade-oriented briefs devoted to application models and practical suggestions. The blog, like the consultancy itself and my own background, reflects the integral connection between theory and practice to best serve our clients and readers alike.